Improvement in iron fence-posts



M. M. MANLY.

Improvement in Iron Fence Posts.

No, 126,406, Patented May 7,1872.

AM. I'HUM-LIYHOGHAPHIC 00. ll X (OSBOfi/VES PRUCESS/ UNITED STATESPATENT CFFIGE.

MARCUS M. MANLY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF ANDSAMUEL SELLERS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN IRON FENCE-POSTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 126,406, dated May 7,1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARCUS M. MANLY, of Philadelphia, State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Postsfor Railing, &c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawing making part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of my invention; Fig. 2, a detached plan of the cap or the base;Fig. 3, a detached view of cap before it is bent into shape; Fig. 4, adetached View of base before it is bent into shape.

My invention consists in the combination, in a hollow post, of a columnor shaft formed of vertical strips or bars of wroughtiron or steel, (Iprefer that kind of iron known as angle-iron, and have hereinafterdescribed it,) with intermediate panels of sheet metal, with a cap or abase, or a cap and a base, each composed of one sheet or strip of metal,with a molding rolled thereon and mitered before bending, substantiallyas described in the following specification.

The column or shaft formed by these strips and panels may be square,round, polygonal, or of any desired shape. Instead of the sheetmetalpanels above described, panels of wirework, or of cast-iron, or ofcross-bars, may be used in conjunction with the upright strips of angleor curved iron or steel, especially when the post is used for atree-box. The base and cap may each be made of one piece or strip ofmetal.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willdescribe its construction and operation.

In the drawing, A, Fig. 1, are the strips of angle or curved iron orsteel; B, the sheetmetal panels, the column or shaft shown being square;0, the cap; D, the base. E is an inner brace. G and H are miters on thecap and base; I, bevel or molding on cap; I, bevel or molding on base;K, plates to form a more finished panel; L, an elongation of one of theupright strips to secure the post to the foundation M, another form ofterminating the elongated upright strip.

The post is constructed as follows: I first form the column by securingthe inner sheetmetal cylinder or panels B to the upright strips of angleor curved iron or steel A. The cap 0 and base D are each formed of astrip of metal, out of which the miters G and H are cut, as shown inFigs. 3 and 4, so as to be lapped over, and are then further cut out toreceive the upright strips A. The lower edge I of the cap and the upperedge I of the base are then bent to form the bevel or molding I I, Fig.l, in the cap and base. Both the cap and base are then bent to thedesired shape, square or otherwise. The edges of the bevels I and l areso bent as to project behind the upper and lower edges of thesheet-metal cylinder or panels B. The base D is then slipped onto thecolumn. The upper edge of the bevel I, being bent upward, enters behindthe panels B, while the strips A pass down on the inside of the base D,at its corners or angles when it is a polygon. The cap 0 is applied inthe same manner over the top of the column. Then, if it is desired,interior frames or braces E may be inserted. and riveted or otherwisesecured in place at intervals on the inside of the column. These framesare added partly for strength, but more particularly for securingrailing to the post when the post is used for railing or fencing. I thenprefer to add plates K to form a more finished panel. These may besecured in any desirable way.

The panels B may be cast-iron panels, or open-work of cast-iron orwire-work, crimped or otherwise, or cross-bars; or the sheet-metalpanels B may be ornamented by stamping, swaging, pressing, or in anyother desired manner. The strips of iron or steel A may also be used tosecure the post to the foundation by the elongation of said strips, asshown at L and M, Fig. 1. L is to pass through a timber or otherfoundation beneath, and be secured at its lower end by a screw-threadand nut. M forms an anchor, to be secured in the foundation by a packingof lead. The cap and base may be ornamented as desired. The strips A maypass up through the cap and form a support for a lamp; or the lamp maybe set on the cap.

The term angle iron or steel here used is meant to describe that kind ofstrip iron or steel a cross-section of which would be an angle; but Iwish it to be understood that I inelude strip iron or steel Whosecross-section would show a curve.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination. in a hollow post, of a column or shaft formed ofvertical strips or bars of wrought-iron 01' steel, with intermediatemetallic panels, with a base or a cap, or a base and cap, each composedof one sheet or strip of metal, with a molding rolled thereon andmitered before bending, substantially as described.

M. M. MANLY.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. REDHEFFER, W. H. REDHEFFER.

